All service providers provide their clients with personalized access to services. A personalized service may for example be sending a multimedia content (film, music, etc.), sending an Internet page including data about a client-user account, etc. Such access requires authentication.
In general manner, in order to access the service, the user makes use of a terminal having input means that can be used for inputting identification and/or authentication data such as an identifier and a password. On receiving them, the provider verifies the identifier and the password and authorizes access to the service if they are correct.
The problem is that the terminal in question is not necessarily fitted with data input means, or if it is fitted with such input means, they need not necessarily be suitable for inputting authentication data.
If the terminal does not have input means, the service cannot be used via that terminal since the provider has no way of authenticating the user of the account that the terminal is seeking to use in order to use a service.
If the terminal is fitted with control means but they are not suitable for inputting authentication data, the service can be used via that terminal, but inputting authentication data such as an identifier and a password is difficult and liable to error. By way of example, the control means could be a remote control when the terminal is a television.
The invention seeks to improve the situation.